Joliet Catholic is one step closer to its first trip to Redbird Arena since 2015 following Wednesday's sectional championship victory over Normal U-High. By Randy Sharer Special to Illprepvb.com COAL CITY - When it really needed to, Joliet Catholic repeatedly sent the ball back against Normal University High in the Coal City Class 3A Sectional championship match Wednesday. The resulting 25-23, 21-25, 25-20 victory for the Angels lifted their record to 26-13 while the Pioneers fell to 29-8. The outcome denied 2017 state third-place...

Windsor-Stewardson-Strasburg, which finished second in Class 1A last year, lost Wednesday in the sectional finals at Effingham St. Anthony. By Zach Rainey Special to Illprepvb.com EFFINGHAM -- After spending the past 10 years in Class 2A and not winning a regional for the last three, Decatur St. Teresa is finding Class 1A to its liking. St. Teresa (27-10) defeated 2017 Class 1A runner-up Windsor-Stewardson-Strasburg 25-13, 25-27, 25-14 Wednesday to win the Effingham St. Anthony Class 1A Sectional. “It's kind of been our M.O. al...

Defending state champion Marist defeated Marian Catholic for the third time this season Wednesday. By Randy Whalen Special to Illprepvb.com “The best feeling in the world.” It was for No. 1-ranked Marist and rightside hitter Katie Doah. The senior came off the bench to be in the front row at a crucial time and played her position to a tee in putting down the match-winning block. That put the finishing touch on Marist's 25-12, 25-23 victory over Marian Catholic in the championship of the Eisenhower Class 4A Sectional on Wednesda...

By Randy Whalen Special to Illprepvb.com It's 39 in a row and it never gets old. According to the IHSA website, Mother McAuley has won a regional title every year since 1980. That includes what were then district championships in the early ‘80s. Well, the Mighty Macs continued that streak with a 25-13, 25-17 victory over the host Astros on Thursday in the title match of the Class 4A Shepard Regional in Palos Heights. No. 4 seeded McAuley (24-13) advances to the Eisenhower Sectional and will play a familiar foe, top-seeded Maris...

Benet defeated Naperville North 25-21, 26-24 to win the Plainfield North Class 4A Sectional. Hattie Monson figured enough was enough. The 5-foot-5 junior libero had watched Benet’s season end in the sectional each of her first two seasons at the school – a 25-23, 25-22 loss to Marist in a sectional semifinal in 2016 and a 25-20, 25-20 setback to Minooka in the sectional championship last year. So what was she feeling when Naperville North’s final kill attempt with the Redwings leading 25-24 in the second set sailed out? “It was ...

Top-seeded Benet advanced to the sectional finals at Plainfield North with a three-set win over Waubonsie Valley on Monday. Beating a team in straight sets is nice, but some victories don’t come that easy. “Before every game, (head coach Brad) Baker tells us it's going to be an hour-and-a-half,” said Benet's 5-foot-10 sophomore outside hitter Kyla Kenney. “We have to be prepared to play for an hour-and-a-half.” Ninety minutes must have seemed like an eternity for No. 2-ranked Benet (33-5) and its fans Monday, but the Redwings r...

Crystal Lake Central repeated as Jacobs Invitational champion Saturday in Algonquin. Crystal Lake Central breathed a sigh of relief after fighting off four set points in Game 1 of the championship match against Waukesha (Wisconsin) Memorial Catholic Saturday at the Jacobs Invitational in Algonquin.But the Crusaders didn’t let the Tigers catch their breath in Game 2, and it was a change of mindset in the third game that powered the defending tournament champion Tigers to a 32-30, 19-25, 25-16 victory and the title of the 12-team tournamen...